Lies and Rumors
by KendraDane
Summary: Renee Montoya finds out that sometimes the best lies come from the truth.


I would like to thank Chris Dee of Cat-Tales for letting me borrow her world for a little while. I promise to return it more or less in the way I found it. If you want the back story I highly recommend reading Chris Dee's **Women Lacking Complexity. **Part 32 in Cat-Tales. In fact, read them all if you get the chance. It's worth it.

I edited this to put in the scene dividers. Sorry!

Lies and Rumors: Chapter One: Complications:

Complications could drive a person crazy.

Renee Montoya had taken to her new job in the City Council with relative ease. She had found it inspiring to be representing Gotham City. To be a voice for the community and for her people. Her father has spent his whole life complaining that no one in the city listened or cared for the people of 'their' neighborhood. The truth be told, more immigrants moved to Gotham City from the Dominican Republic than any other in a given year. To be able to represent them, and be their voice, was one of the greatest feelings she had ever known.

Until the last meeting when the other members dropped a bombshell on her.

"We need your resignation, Councilwoman."

It had been a week since they spoke those words to her. They still stung. Her resignation, all because of that damned Gotham Post. If it had just been the one story she could have stayed her course, but they had kept printing them. One after another, with just enough truth to them to make them credible. Her constituents had not been impressed with her "immoral character" and had sought a replacement. Now she stood in her empty office, the last of her personal belongings in her bag and sought to fight back tears.

She wouldn't let them win. She was NOT going to break down here. Not while she had a hint of breath left in her body. With as much dignity as she could muster, she bid farewell to the secretary and walked out. Walked out on a part of her life that had been way too brief. Cut short due to ignorance and intolerance.

No one understood. Nor would they ever.

Renee had a lot to do. She started back on the force next week. She had lost her position when she had quit to take the Council position but they had rehired her in Major Crimes, anyways. The detective was back to the night shift and would be partnered up with a new detective transferring in from Metropolis and would be meeting him tonight for a briefing and to show him around town. She was having mixed feelings about going back to work.

Complications.

Her whole life had turned into nothing but one complication after another. Renee had pursued the Council job in order to get to know Commissioner Muskelli a bit better. There had been no way that she could maintain a relationship with him and work under him. Things had been working. Even when the first Post article came out…Things were working. But as the newspaper intensified its writings, the relationship had become strained. More on her part than his. She couldn't handle it and it took it's toll. On the day she was to make her first public appearance as his date, at one of the Wayne benefits, the Post published that she and her "girlfriend" had been happily living together for over a year. Renee stood him up that night, unable to face anyone.

Things ended not a week later. She reasoned with herself that if they were meant to be together one of them would have fought just a little to keep the relationship together, but neither did. She knew that if he had been the one that all the stories in the world wouldn't have mattered. But deep down she knew that he wasn't the one and that the things that the Post wrote about her could only hurt him and his career. So they broke up.

Now she would be back working for him again. Boyfriend and girlfriend turned boss and employee. At least they had parted amiably. He had warned her that there would be no special favors. Not many knew of their brief relationship, but they would be watched, and they both knew it. IA loved to ride Renee for one reason or another and would be looking for an excuse. She wouldn't be the one to give it to them. She muttered under her breath, more to herself than to anyone in particular.

"Complications suck!"

* * *

"You seen the latest? The things they're saying, Nae-Nae. Why does this guy keep doing this to you?"

Benny tossed the tabloid down onto his sister's kitchen table as Renee shook her head and got them both a cold beer from the fridge. Setting them down, she glanced at the article, glad to see that it wasn't front page news. It appeared from the quick once over she gave it that she and an unnamed partner had been chasing a former cop turned monster. Literally.

"The truth for once. A case a few years back. Not so bad," She stopped abruptly as her eyes scanned the article. Her voice was little more than a screech when she continued.

"What? Gay pride in the cells of Arkham? More disfigurements?"

"See what I'm saying. You've got to fix this. You should have stopped it with the very first one. Back at the very first 'you and Two Face' story. You should have never let them take this as far as they did and you really needed to go down and kick someone's ass after the whole you and whoever she was thing. Dahlia? Dare? Dahli Lama?"

"Daria," Renee corrected him, softly, before taking another drink from her bottle, always uncomfortable when this topic arose. She had finally been able to convince all of those close to her that it had been nothing but fancy Photoshop work. Benny was on a role though and barely even heard her. He acknowledged her with a nod before continuing.

You really need to stick up for yourself, Nae" Benny thanked her for the beer and took a long drink before continuing. "_Gracias, _Your AC still not working? It's like 100 degrees today, sis. Let me take a look at it."

"You know, _Bernardo_," She smirked, glad Benny had changed the subject and knowing that he hated it when she used his full name. Almost as much as she hated him using her old nickname from grade school . "My super is supposed to fix that for me. It does run. Only has one setting, but it runs."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it's gotta be like eighty in here. There is no way it's going to keep up with the heat out there this week. You don't have that nice air conditioned office anymore, sis. Just let me fix it for you. You won't let me go down and straighten these no good _bastardos ,_ at least let me do this?"

She grinned. Unlike the rest of her family, Benny had learned English from an early enough age that he didn't usually just throw it into his English conversations. Growing up and learning how to speak English at a public school had embarrassed the young Renee. She had struggled over it longer than she felt she should have and it frustrated her to no end not to be able to communicate with 'normal' Gothamites. She had come home every evening and sat her younger brother down and made him learn everything she had so he would not have to go through the same.

"_Si,_ fix my AC if it will make you feel more like a man. Who am I to stop you? Just whatever you do wait until later tonight when it's supposed to cool down a bit. While you're at it, can you do me a favor and change out my DVD player with the new one. Momma and Pop really shouldn't have. I told them not to," She shook her head, knowing she had digressed. "Anyways, I have to go out anyway. I have to pick up my new partner at the airport and show him the ropes."

"Him?" Benny cocked an eyebrow, always glad to have an opportunity to tease his sister. "How much are you going to tell him about?"

"About what, Benny," Renee sighed in exasperation, knowing what Benny meant, but playing dumb, nonetheless. "I'm going to let him borrow my files on the big bads, warn him to wear his vest and tell him I hope he doesn't get dead in the first month. Then maybe I'll buy him a cup of coffee or something. Haven't thought that far ahead yet. Still having a hard time thinking like a cop again."

That was a lie. Montoya had never stopped thinking like a detective the whole year she had been off the force. Renee smoothed the hemline of her blouse and looked back at her brother. "How do I look?"

Benny almost shook his head. This past year had been good for his "little" big sister. She may have been the older of the two, but sometimes she seemed much younger. She hadn't thought much about clothes or fashion since Johnny died all those years ago and it was good to see her taking the time to care again. She had been in such a dark place for so long. He knew that no one in his family understood what it really was she had gone through to get where she was.

His sister's new job had changed her. Revitalized her. Renee had always been strong, but had been a follower. She had learned to be a leader in the last year and had resurrected her old flair for life. He only hoped that her recent break up and return to the force would not change her again.

"Very nice. I was afraid you were going to drag out those old suits of yours. I was going to have to do some creative relocating if you had."

"Cute. Ok I'm out of here. Lock up when your done. Don't drink all my beer."

"Yeah, yeah. Get going, MOM!"

Laughing, Renee gave him a quick hug and kissed her brother good bye, then she was off.

* * *

Traffic had been heavy getting to the airport and Renee was running behind. She parked her car in the first available spot and made a dash to the main building. Once inside, she was happy to discover that Detective Reese's plane had been delayed due to bad weather in Metropolis. Grabbing a cup of coffee and a copy of US weekly she sat down to wait. Absentmindedly, she flipped open the magazine and started to skim the stories.

Denise Richards speaks out about leaving Charlie. Tom and Katie got engaged. Britney might be having twins and was fighting with Kevin. Lindsay Lohan collapses. Jessica is in tears again.

She tossed the magazine down onto the chair next to her and glanced at her watch. Seven oh five. She looked up as she heard the announcement that the six o'clock flight from Metropolis to Gotham had arrived and would be unloading shortly. She quickly stood up, searching for the right gate and almost knocked into someone.

"Excuse me," she mumbled, embarrassed at her lack of awareness.

"No problem…. It's been a while, Renee."

Montoya stopped in her tracks and her face grew pale. She knew that voice. She closed her eyes, trying to regain her composure. She remembered so much in that moment. The moment after she heard that voice and the one where she spoke in return.

She remembered the bar she had been in that night. The overwhelming loneliness that had been eating at her since Johnny's death. The case that had ended in a fatal shooting and her drinking way too much tequila. She remembered wondering if she would ever fit in anywhere. If she would ever be loved. Her confusion as to why she could not find happiness. She had made a mistake that night. A small one, but one that had a lasting effect on her life. All she had wanted to do was to feel wanted for just a little while.

Too much to drink. Too lonely to care. Too depressed to think straight. Too on edge to give a damn.

Renee gave a soft smile. At least she hadn't been so trashed that she had let it go too far. Just one kiss. One stupid kiss and it would haunt her for the rest of her life. She was her own worst enemy at complicating her life.

"Hello, Daria."

* * *

Thanks for reading. I should have chapter two up within the week. Please review!

Kendra


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